Sight
by Library's Poltergeist
Summary: Spinoff of Citadel of Doom. Instead of going into the Puzzle Box quietly, Wuya lashes out in her final moments, leaving the Wind Dragon stranded and one sense short. Abandoned
1. Balance

Disclaimer: If I owned Xaiolin Showdown, do you really think that I'd be writing fanfiction?

After seeing "Days Past" again, I realized that I made a mistake in the second paragraph. The Reversing Mirror breaks into many small pieces, not two halves, but it's already written, so sorry to anyone who thinks it matters. And to those who aren't rabid perfectionists (no offense), thank you for your understanding. Also, I don't think that I got the dialogue from "Citadel of Doom" exactly right, so sorry about that too.

* * *

Raimundo bumped the two halves of the Reversing Mirror absently, wondering just how much power Wuya had. The Shen-Gong-Wu were the toughest objects that he'd ever seen. Even the Shroud of Shadows, which felt as though it was composed of the finest silk, had withstood a pair of scissors, a fork, a steak knife, fire, and battery acid -all testing was done without Master Fung's knowledge, of course- before he'd given up. How could anything break this?

He set it down and examined the edges. Lightly tracing his fingers over the edges, he wondered how it could have broken so perfectly. It lay in front of him in equal, jagged halves. It had broken straight down the Yin-Yang symbol, the symbol of balance. He held up the pieces, one in each hand, and contemplated the meaning. Could this mean that he'd broken the balance of good and evil? He had never believed in omens before, of course, he'd never believed in magical items, dragons, or evil witches with plans of world domination either.

But, now was not the time or place to mope like this. He was second-in-command of the whole world with… absolutely… no… friends… He looked around his room for inspiration; well, he'd never built a house of cards before. Wrapping the two halves of the mirror in a soft cloth, he shoved them into his back pocket and reached for a playing deck.

* * *

Later

* * *

Raimundo leapt through the window and slammed his hand into the Golden Tiger Claws. Praying that Jack had not had time to do whatever the monks had been stalling for, he slashed a portal to the throne room and propelled himself through it.

"Wuya! The monks have escaped and…" he trailed off as he landed at her side, relieved to see that Jack, as well as the other jailbirds, were contained.

The witch turned to face him, "Ah, Raimundo, just in time." Turning back, she allowed a smirk to tug at the corners of her lips. "Going back for the Puzzle Box _was_ a brilliant move," she looked it over, then handed it to the Heylin monk, "pity Daishi never taught you how to use it, the fool." Turning slightly towards Rai, she added, "A smart dresser, but a fool."

While the monks were ranting about how she would never get away with her insidious plot, Rai decided to briefly study the ancient Shen-Gong-Wu. He turned the cube over in his hands. He couldn't see how they could have a hard time opening it; it looked like all you had to do would be to pull the top open. There was an unsettling amount of magic about it, though; he could feel it coursing throughout the box. It felt almost as though it was trying to feel out who was holding it, sense whether or not that one was worthy of opening it.

_Tch, like I'd want to open you,_ he thought at it. _Wait a sec, I'm trying to communicate telepathically with a piece of wood… What's wrong with this picture?_

"Crush them."

Those two words jerked him out of his little world and back into reality. His ex-friends pleaded with him to stop her, but what could he do?

He almost had a panic attack as he watched the golem's stomachs slowly constrict. "Wait, Wuya, you can't just squish them!"

She seemed to ponder it for a second. "You're right; it'd make a huge mess in here." To the living (sort of) cages, she commanded, "take them to the dungeons," she allowed a small smile to cross her features when the monks visages relaxed, then added, "then crush them."

Again, the rebels pleaded for help, for his help. If his old companions weren't about to die a very gruesome death, he would reflect on how ironic that they, Omi especially, were begging for his assistance. Beside him, Wuya laughed softly and placed a clawed hand on his shoulder. "Why would he help _you_? I can give him anything he wants."

He had a sudden flashback of him asking for companionship and receiving golems. "Anything?" he asked, turning towards her with an unreadable expression on her face.

She shrugged the question off, "Cars, toys, Canada, you name it."

His eyes narrowed, and he ripped the top of the Puzzle Box open. "I want my friends back!" He snarled viciously.

As the spirit of Daishi emerged to imprison Wuya once more, the witch used her last moments to lash out at the traitor. Suddenly, Raimundo's world was pure agony. He cried out in pain, and both of his hands shot up to his eyes, trying to stop the bleeding.

Kimiko screamed and pounded her fists against the unyielding stone bars of the golem's stomach. As Wuya fully vanished into the Puzzle Box, her servants crumbled and the Dragons leapt free. Omi rushed past Kimiko, who was at the base of the steps, and bounded up towards their wounded friend. But before he was halfway there, the Golden Tiger Claws ripped a portal through space as Raimundo jerked it and his bare hand to clutch at his face. The purple vortex pulled the howling Dragon into its depths before anyone could get near him.

Omi leapt to the top, nearly slipping in his friend's blood, "Raimundo! Raimundo!" He gazed around dully, "Where could he have gone?" he wondered softly.

Kimiko collapsed just in front of where Raimundo had seen his last. Salty tears rolled down her face to mingle with the Wind Dragon's life force. She sobbed and slammed her fist down, causing the blood to splash onto her shirt and face. "He didn't activate them, dammit! Why'd they take him?" She wrapped both arms around herself and rocked back on her ankles, bumping into Clay, who had come up right behind her. "He didn't call them…"

The cowboy knelt beside her and awkwardly wrapped both arms around the crying girl. It was the only thing that he could think of to do.

Dojo supersized to avoid slithering up the stairs and set his head down next the Fire Dragon, "Rai's not here and we shouldn't be either!" he eyed then ceiling warily, "This place is coming down!"

As if on cue, one of the nearby pillars crumbled, bringing down a mini rockslide down with it. Kimiko looked over at the dragon numbly, and Dojo felt a pang of despair at the empty expression on the girl's tearstained face.

After they had burst from the former empress's palace, Dojo had to wonder; if the Golden Tiger Claws took the user anywhere that they were thinking of, where do they take you when they aren't called for?

* * *

Raimundo lay whimpering on his side in the morning dew, having screamed himself hoarse inside the vortex he had traveled through. The portal had always been something of a vacuum, but that had never been pronounced so clearly as right now. The suction had been unbearable, and the journey had seemed longer than usual. It felt as though his own element was punishing him. Now he lay still, paralyzed with pain.

In the distance –or maybe it just seems that way when one is on the brink of unconsciousness- he could hear voices that seemed vaguely familiar. If only he could figure out where he knew them from…

"Is that Raimundo?"

"Yeah, I think it-" Someone moved him so that he was on his back. "Oh my god!"

"Someone call an ambulance!"

Someone place a cloth against his face in an attempt to stop the bleeding and stroked his hair. "My god, kid, please, please be alright!"

* * *

TBC…


	2. Only the Magic

**Reviews**

**azure x emerald**: I agree, when Wuya reemerges from the Puzzle Box, she acts like she forgot about the whole thing. Thank you very much, and I look forward to your next updates.

**unknown**: Ooh! Mystery person! Anyways, thank you.

**dArkliTe-sPirit**: 1. Yes… I agree. 2. Yes, he will be.

**Elemental-Zero**: Hmmm… How desperate _are_ you for an update? Would you… pay me monies?

**Kacheek Girl**: Thank you!

**Satoshi Silver Syoran**: Well, here it is!

**Sela-chan**: Wish granted!

**sfdny67**: Thanks. It's too early to tell what the pairing will be, although I'm not feeling particularly friendly towards Kim right now. (Blame Kaisa!) tvtome(dot)com says that his last name's Pedrosa.

* * *

O.O…

Rai: What's up with her?

Meeps: She's never gotten this many reviews before. (under his breath) Understandably…

(whacks Meeps with a mallet) I heard that! Everyone, meet my two main muses: Raimundo, who you all already know(Rai waves) and Meeps, a mouse that is a product of my imagination.

Meeps: And I'm not some twisted monster! Miracles do happen!

(mutters) Oh yes, you are…

Disclaimer: I own Xaiolin Showdown not.

* * *

Fung stood in the courtyard and let the wave of Xaiolin magic wash over him. No one except the Chosen Ones, Dojo, and the monks that resided here would have any knowledge of what had happened. The rest of the world would remember a flash of white light at the very best. He scanned the skies; now that Wuya's magic was gone, the night had ended, revealing a sunny morning. Dojo Konojo Jo would be returning soon with three -and, hoped a small part of his mind, just maybe four- Dragons in training.

As expected, a small, green squiggle appeared on the horizon, in a few more minutes, one could make out three small bumps on that undulating speck. The small part of him that had hoped for the Wind Dragon's redemption fell; he hoped that the others had not had to kill their former fellow, even if that would mean that Raimundo's powers would be able to transfer to his reincarnation. He knew that Raimundo had been pretty popular with the others here. Most of the other monks were refreshed by his energetic attitude, and he also was one of the few that Dojo had a soft spot for. Whatever had happened, he hoped that his protégé's would be able to get over it.

As soon as the dragon was close enough to the ground, Kimiko slid of his back and rolled as she landed to lessen the impact. Coming to a stop in front of her mentor, she looked fervently around before turning back to him with a desperate light in her eyes. "Hasn't he come back yet?"

He cocked his head slightly, he had been expecting her to be sobbing over the traitor, or smiling about her victory. What did she mean?

"Don' worry Kimiko, maybe the magic jus' hasn't reached him yet. He'll come back as soon as he's healed up," came Clay's drawl. The cowboy tipped his hat in the direction of the eldest monk. "Mornin' Master Fung, sir."

Omi hopped down as Dojo shrunk, "Perhaps Raimundo does not want to come back."

Kimiko whirled around, tears welling up as her icy blue eyes melted. "How can you say that!" she wailed. "He just saved our lives!"

Omi backed away, "No! I merely meant that…" He waved his hands and tried desperately to think of a way out of his predicament and back into the Fire Dragon's good favor. "He was afraid that we might reject him?" Well, at least he got one out of two.

She froze. "No, he wouldn't really think that." Tears started making a path down her face. "Would he?"

Fung turned towards Dojo. "Would you care to explain?"

* * *

When Raimundo awoke, it was to the sound of a heart monitor and the smell of antiseptic. His entire body felt numb; he released a soft moan.

Beside him, someone stirred, "He's awake!" called a familiar voice.

Deep in his mind, past the part that was still in an anesthetic induced slumber, the voice registered. "…'Nessa?" He managed to croak out.

"Hush, don't strain yourself." She lightly put a finger over his mouth. "I don't want to hear a word out of you until you're completely better."

"I don't remember you being such a worrier."

There was concern and a faint edge of annoyance in her tone. "Well, that was before I found one of my best friends lying face down in some field. Now shush, while I call the others to tell them that you've woken up."

* * *

Master Fung frowned; he had no idea how to tell them this. "You are certain she didn't use a curse on Raimundo?"

Dojo nodded from the brim of Clay's hat. "She didn't have time to do any incantations or summon the energy required. She just… slashed him."

The three trainees' faces paled at the memory.

Fung sighed; when it came to matters such as this, subtlety was not his strong point. "Young monks, I'm afraid that I am the bearer of tragic news."

Kimiko stiffened; she did not like the sound of this.

"When Raimundo trapped Wuya inside the Puzzle Box once more, he undid all the evil she did using Heylin _magic_."

She gritted her teeth and noted that the others were reacting in much the same way. _No…_

"But since she did not use her magic to harm him…"

Omi's hands were slackened instead of clenched together as they had been earlier, and his normally cheerful visage was one of shock and disbelief. It was as though some part of him was screaming out that this just _had_ to a nightmare or one of Rai's less tasteful practical jokes. "He was not healed."

TBC…

* * *

Gah! (glares at Clay)

Clay: What'd I do?

Rai: She finds your character hard to write.

Clay: (scratches head) How am I hard?

Meeps: Your accent!

Yeah! I have to get it just right, or else I'll end up with Goofy with a very cheesy accent!

Meeps: Cowboy Goofy?... (shudders) That is not an appealing mental image.

0o; Yeah…

* * *

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**_ALERT!_** Did I get your attention? Good. Anyways, Rai will get a seeing-eye dog eventually (in a couple of chapters, probably). I have three names picked out: **Ranger**, **Blitz**, and **Riley**. I'm having trouble deciding, though. Please vote to help me. (Btw, it will be a German Shepard -gender pending-, if the breed will affect your decision.)


	3. Pasts and Ashley

I was going to wait a little while longer to start writing again, but I like this story (and the reviews ¬.¬) too much.

* * *

**Reviews**

**ToraTigera**: So do I. (nervous chuckle)

**TamerTerra**: Yay! I'm not the only one that has a problem with him! I tend to think of Chase as concise and cultured, if that helps. And thank you.

**Elemental-Zero**: I never think! (Jack-like expression) Wait! That didn't come out right! By the way, is that a vote for Riley, Blitz, or both?

**celestial-gal**: Thank you for your input. I didn't think of that when I came up with the name. I was just brainstorming and happened to like the sound of it.

**dArkliTe-sPirit**: (coughs) Yeeeeeeeeeeezzz… Anyways, ye shall discover that soon, and I thank ye for voting.

**Kacheek Girl**: Yes, cliffies are evil, but they always seem to get reviews. (Even if it's hyper fans chasing me with pitchforks demanding updates.)

**Kaisa**: YAY! A review from Kaisa! (jumps around in joyous rapture) Don't feel blamed! It's not as though your writing Kimiko with a bitchy attitude towards my favorite character had anything to do with my current obsession with the Fire Dragon's violent death! …(grabs a flamethrower and torches Kim) Mwuahahahahahahahahahaha! Destroyed by her own element! Oh, the luscious irony! Hahahaha… ha… ha… (notices other authors looking at her in a disturbed fashion) Heheh… (grins nervously and drops the Shroud of Shadows over Kim's bones) Move it along, people! n.n;

**Satoshi Silver Syoran**: Thank you for your… um… enthusiasm…

**Priestess kurumi inu's sister**: Sort of…

**Sela-chan**: What names? I might use them to replace Riley and/or Ranger in the polls.

**azure x emerald**: Okay, well, at least one of the names other than Blitz got a vote. Thank you very much.

**Polls:**

**Blitz – 6**

**Ranger – 0**

**Riley – 1**

Sfdny67 gets all the credit for the name Sanchez. And if said reviewer doesn't like me using it you may tell me and I'll change it.

Disclaimer: I do not own XS or Kool-Aid.

* * *

Quote of the Day

Omi, "And so our grand quest begins. Follow me... to victory! (walks off-screen) …I have no idea where I'm going."

* * *

Daniel lay on his back and stared up the ceiling, numbly letting his tears dry. He thought back, remembering when the youth with tousled brown hair had first come into his life. Their manager, who had been an old friend of the child's mother had offered to take him in after he had been abandoned by his father, had brought the orphan over to him and told him to start with the training.

At first he had been outraged. He knew exactly what the old man was up to; Sanchez had been badgering him for weeks about his habit of having a gang at every stop, but Dan had never thought that the circus manager would stoop so low as to use a child to keep him in line. Well, he would have none of it! …That attitude actually managed to thrive in his mind for the whole two seconds it took for the child to step out from behind the older man and look up with green orbs filled with innocence. No one, repeat, **no one** could resist those eyes, so who was he, a mere mortal, to even think of attempting such a thing?

As it turned out, the kid made a great acrobat, once he'd worked out a bit to build some muscle, of course. What could he say? The kid had grown on him. It was nice to have someone who always followed him around and thought that he could do no wrong. The only problem was, the girls in the troop always burst into giggles when they walked by, laughter when he gave them an odd look that asked 'what was so funny', and hysterics when the kid checked his expression and gave the girls an identical one. They were not amused, however, when he had his 'apprentice' keep then in the 'lounge trailer', as it was called, by wowing them with his complete and utter cuteness, while the elder prankster booby trapped their rooms. It was a pity that they had destroyed the photos he had taken of the incidents; there was an excellent one of Vanessa soaked with blue Kool-Aid.

Admittedly, they had every right to be amused by the scene. Heck, if it had happened to anyone else, he'd be laughing his ass off too. But it wasn't happening to someone else; he was the one being transformed from badass gangster to benevolent brother by those ridiculously large emerald orbs. But now…

He leaned back clutched his ebony spikes. It still hurt to remember that morning. They had been helping the movers pack, and he, Vanessa, and Jacinto were walking through the field where they had been performing in to see if anything had been overlooked when a something purple caught their eyes. There was some sort of bright light, and when they could finally see again, whatever it was had disappeared. What they did see, however, was a very familiar set of brunette spikes.

"Is that Raimundo?" Jacinto had asked, peering forward.

"I think it-" Dan rolled Rai onto his back. His hand flew to his mouth; the kid was covered in blood that originated from four parallel wounds that curved across his face. "Oh my God!"

"Someone call an ambulance!" Jacinto roared, unaware that not only were they out of hearing range, but Vanessa was already speaking to an operator.

The acrobat quickly shed the jacket that had been protecting him from the morning chill and pressed it to Rai's face. Stroking the hair of the one who was his brother in all but blood, he murmured, "My god, kid, please," he ducked his head and felt the first of his tears fall. "Please be alright!"

Daniel sniffed and angrily brushed the tears away. Who would do something like that? An old acquaintance from his gang days? An enemy of Rai's? It was more likely to be the former. Whoever it had been probably dumped the kid there to piss him off. But then…

He stood up and walked over to his dresser and removed two objects. He knew –or at least had a vague idea about- what they were. Raimundo had sent him e-mails about his activities in China. He knew for a fact that this one was the Golden Tiger Claws. The only thing that confused him was that when Raimundo had written him about it, he'd mentioned that the "stupid cue ball" had sent them to the center of the earth. Raimundo hadn't written yet about the other one, but it lent probability to the latter theory. Rai might have been retrieving this –what were they called again? "Shen-Gong-Wu"? - …object, was wounded, and used the Claws to come to them. But even so, how would he know where the circus was at the time?

He tossed them both onto his bed and started pacing. The police were making no headway, and the kid still hadn't awoken. He stopped midstride; his cell was ringing.

When he answered, his voice was tense, "If you're not Vanessa, hang up now."

"Well, you're polite."

His grip tightened. "Well?"

The girl's smile was evident in her voice. "He's awake."

He let out a sigh of relief. "And…?"

She sighed, and he felt the relief seep out of him. "How is he?"

When she spoke, it was with reluctance, "The eyes themselves are fine, but…" She seemed to be bracing herself, "Those cuts damaged his optic nerves."

He felt a wave of despair wash over him. Raimundo sightless? The doctors had supposed this earlier, but… "They're sure?"

Outside the Wind Dragon's room, Vanessa flinched at the desperate tone in Daniel's voice. She wished fervently that she could tell him 'No! They were lying! They released Raimundo two seconds ago! I'm bringing him back with me right now!' and make it so. But it wasn't true; she glanced through the small window where a nurse was trying to explain everything to her younger friend. Her eyes narrowed, _How can you do that to him! How can you just tell him that he'll never be able to see his friends' faces or a starry night again! How can you tell him that the rainbow is lost to him forever? He kept writing to tell us that he couldn't wait to see Brazil again! How can you act so calm when you can clearly see that this is killing him?_ She mentally screamed. Raimundo, apparently, was taking the news about as well as she had, only without trying to kill the nurse with a death glare. "Yeah… um, he's really upset. Get Jacinto and Mr. Sanchez and come over here now."

He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Yeah, sure." They disconnected.

* * *

Ashley yawned and smiled. A walk along the Florida beach with a beautiful sunrise such as this was her favorite way to start the day. A block of wood caught her eye; it looked like a puzzle box. Curious, she reached down and opened it with the tips of steel-tipped gloves.

* * *

Not much to say here; I wrote this mainly to give my version of Rai's past, give some background on one of the OCs, and introduce some canon. And to those of you who are wondering why I keep calling Rai "the kid" it's because I'm telling from Daniel's PoV, and that's just his name for Rai. Also, if you're looking for a good place to find names for OCs, check out "behindthename(dot)com".


	4. Hope

**Reviews**

**azure x emerald:** Thanks, now I've just got to find a way to sneak Jacinto into the picture…

**Elemental-Zero:** Thanks for your input.

**dArkliTe-sPirit:** (chuckles) I would too, the only problem is Rai's powers haven't grown that much. Yet… (ominous music plays in the background)

**Kaisa:** Great!

**Satoshi Silver Syoran:** (backs away) Yes, it was. Unfortunately, Wuya, Jack, and Kimiko have been intercepting these shipments for "reasons unknown". (waves to the Rai getting sent to dl-sPirit) I wish you a safe journey!

**Kraven the Hunter:** Sort of, Daishi says that the Puzzle Box opens whenever the person who needs it the most opens it. The magic was trying to find out whether Rai needed it the most. I don't know how to explain Jack or Catnappé with this theory, though… (shrugs) Flukes?

**Hylian Princess:** I don't know why, but Rai ran for the hills when he read this. Meeps said that he was yelling something about psycho fangirls who might try to "comfort" him. …What! I would never do anything to him to cause him to make that connection! nn;;

**DeafLizgon: **(sighs in relief) Good, you like the OCs. That was the most stressful part of the last chapter, making the OCs believable. I've seen a lot of stories that are ruined because of a bad OC (or two or three…), and I was really worried about messing this one up because of them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown.

I just saw "Citadel of Doom" once more… (sigh) It made me feel bad about the first chapter… But do you know what would make me feel better? (sly grin) Reviews!

(Rai and Meeps roll their eyes)

* * *

Quote of the Day:

Raimundo, "What's he gonna do? Annoy us to death?"

* * *

Raimundo smiled and traced the groove on his medallion. Things were finally looking up for him; he'd had a brief bout of depression when everything first started, feeling like nothing would ever be the same. He wouldn't be able to fight, read, play video games, or do anything, it seemed. He'd also had a mild case of agoraphobia, but he'd gotten over the depression once he found other activities to throw himself into. The agoraphobia remained; Vanessa, for some reason, had found it amusing in an ironic sort of way that the (former) Dragon of Wind was afraid of the environment where his element was the most effective. He'd mastered Braille (sort of), and he'd even started getting back into the circus life. Of course he was only working three feet off the ground, but he'd get back up in the air eventually. Words could not express how much he missed that beautiful sensation of soaring unaided, wowing thousands and landing safely on a small platform, or latching onto the handle of a trapeze or the hands of Vanessa or Daniel. Or maybe it wasn't soaring through his element that he missed; maybe it was the stability. When he let go, there was _always_ something there to catch him. He thought that he had found that (or something close enough) at the Xiaolin Temple, but he had been wrong.

What he couldn't understand was how they could think that he had left because of a stupid promotion. How could they not know him better than that! It was about the fact that they had all turned on him they moment that they were on a higher level. They had treated him with less respect, made him do all the dirty work, and constantly put him down; just because he wasn't a Xiaolin Apprentice didn't mean that he was any less the Dragon of the Wind! He was in what he viewed as a harmful situation, and had taken the steps necessary to get himself out of it. …He'd just made the mistake of dragging the world down with him.

Raimundo frowned and, feeling his thoughts straying to the darker corners of his mind, shook his head as though trying to shake them loose from that part of his consciousness. That wasn't his story; that was the story of the Xiaolin Dragon of the Wind, who had been too stupid to remember that he had friends back home who would take him back in a second. He was just Raimundo Pedrosa, an acrobat, a streetfighter (although Sanchez would never know), and a friend to wonderful people who cared enough about him to sacrifice time out of their own lives to make his easier. There were no titles, no expectations, no huge obstacles in his life (well, there was the whole blind thing, but he was dealing with that), just him.

Well, just him and Daniel, the acrobat had been volunteering to take him down to the local center for the blind for classes to help him adjust. He was learning how to trail walls, use computer screen readers, (he preferred voice output programs), organize his money according to folds, etc. Learning to eat with his disability was the worst thing for him. It felt like he was declaring to the world that he was so helpless that he couldn't even eat on his own. It did, of course help when he had Dan sitting next to him giving him the "o'clock's" with which to navigate.

Once he'd gotten past the basics, it was important to navigate. He'd been given the choice between using a cane and a guide dog. At first, he wanted to use a cane, but after thinking it over, decided against it. The pros of canes were that they didn't require food, visits to the vet etc. But that was all that they had over guide dogs. Dogs were able to navigate around objects for their masters, even guiding them around overhead obstacles that a dog could easily slip under, but a human couldn't. Also, dogs were more helpful when trying to cross the street. Both cane and dog users had to listen to the flow of traffic, but a dog handler had the bonus of knowing that his or her partner was trained to ignore the command unless and until it was safe to cross.

And now, here he was on graduation day. He felt a grin commandeer his visage. Today it would finally be made official that he was capable of living as normally as possible; well, not _just_ him. He reached out to his right and felt fur. Stroking the German Shepard, he allowed himself to be overcome with giddiness. Vaguely, he wondered what Dan thought of him grinning like an idiot. Jacinto and Vanessa were in the front seats, so unless one of them just happened to look back, the strongman and acrobat wouldn't notice. The grey eyed acrobat was sulking in the far right, angry that the seeing-eye dog got to sit next to Rai. The youngest circus member had insisted on a window seat, and Blitz, of course, had to stay close to his master.

Nothing could ruin this day! All he had to do was smile, maybe say a few words, and pray that when he presented the instructor with the bouquet his class had purchased for her, he didn't face the wrong direction.

* * *

Nestled between their Chosen's socks, the golden Wu waited. With all the magic in the air (Heylin magic, but still…), it probably could have possessed the Wind Dragon right then, but it never would have been able to maintain its hold once they were away from the magic rich environment. Instead, it had brought him to his friends' location, getting him medical attention and distancing him from the monks. Now there was no one to warn him about the Heylin comet. The Tiger Claws glowed briefly, then lay dormant. It had waited ten thousand years for its next opportunity at freedom. It could wait a few more months.

* * *

It was a slow day at the Xiaolin Temple. This was expounded by the fact that _Omi_, the ever diligent Dragon of Water, was lazing about. The vertically challenged monk was sprawled out by koi pond Kimiko's father had had built for her birthday ("…to give my little girl a bit of home…"), trailing his fingers over the surface of his element and languidly watching the colorful fish dart about. Clay was leaning against a boulder in the rock garden with his eyes closed, basking in the earthy smell and afternoon heat. Kimiko was sitting leaning against a tree trunk near the temple, looking over a scroll. She had to find out why the Golden Tiger Claws acted on their own. Raimundo had bled to death, and they were waiting for his reincarnation come into power (while continuing to hunt Shen-Gong-Wu, of course). But, maybe, there was a chance that whatever had caused the Wu to activate had an effect on her former compatriot. She had to hope.

* * *

Well, since the rehabilitation would take months at the very least, the canon is being spaced out. And to thouseof you who are reading into the first sentence in theseventh paragraph: nothing will happen. Also, I'm still trying to figure out how I want to portray Jack.

Jack: As a genius, of course!

Why?

Jack: What do you mean? I have a certificate to prove it!

¬¬ But you cheated on the test…

Jack: …But who else would be smart enough to do that? nn'


	5. Diets are Evil

**Reviews:**

**DeafLizgon:** (is curious) What? The GTC are in a sock drawer.

**Elemental-Zero:** Okay, but I'm not responsible for what Rai does to get his "eyes" back…

**dArkliTe-sPirit:** Thanks for the advise.

**diva of the opera:** Sorry, tell me what was confusing you and I'll try to clear it up.

**Satoshi Silver Syoran:** Yes, there is much live for teh puppy.

**azure** **x** **emerald:** True, I'm having a lot of trouble writing him like this. The Claws… definitely gonna be hard to fit in, because Wuya also thinks that he's dead so she won't be targeting him this time. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to happen, but it can't happen until a few more events occur.

**celestial-gal:** Coincidence? (maniacal grin) I think not!

**Hylian Dragoness:** Something up? (innocent expression) No! (snickers) And sorry, won't happen again!

**Kraven the Hunter:** Why does everyone want to see Rai turned into a hulking monster? On that, I really have no idea what is going to happen because I don't want him to be exposed to the monks yet. Maybe the box opens to contain evil for good and release evil for evil?

Disclaimer: I own neither Xiaolin Showdown nor Weight Watchers.

* * *

Quote of the Day:

Kimiko, "You're lucky you're cute, Omi."

* * *

Jade-green eyes roved back and forth, hoping to find that which their owner knew to be extinct; disgusted, the sandy-haired strongman reached into the fridge and pulled out three sodas, cursing all clowns to an early grave under his breath as he did so. Clowns were _supposed_ to be overweight! That's what gave them their unique pudgy charm for chrissakes! But noooo… One of them just had to suddenly become self-conscience! "Oh, but I'm fat! I wanna look good for the circus!" Keh, he'd wanted to grab her by the shoulders and yell into her face that she was a clown, for crying out loud! She had no dignity! Why bother?

Jacinto wore that same brooding, "don't-mess-with-me-right-now-or-the-police-will-never-find-your-body" look all the way back to the trailer that he, Dan, and Rai were sharing. He paused in the doorway and gave his blind friend an odd look. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but why are you sitting in your dog's bed?"

Raimundo turned his head towards the voice and idly waved a Braille pamphlet at (even if slightly to the left of) his fellow countryman, "Mm, something about Blitz's pack instincts."

At this the Shepard, who had been lying down by the side of his bed, sat up and looked at his partner. Noticing that the dog wasn't in his harness, the elder Brazilian leaned down and scratched around the base of the canine's ears; Blitz leaned into the hand to show his appreciation. "Hn."

"So, you get my drink?"

The strongman almost winced at the expectancy in the voice. How could he tell him that…? Well, a smirk creeping over his face, Rai always used to prank _him_. Grinning viciously, he reached up to the counter where he had deposited the aluminum cans, "Here."

The brunette grinned happily and found the means to open the can of fizzy goodness with his fingertips. Unfortunately for Jacinto, who was still standing in front of the other when the event occurred, that smile vanished as the acrobat reacted violently to the unexpected taste and spewed out the offending soda onto his friend's pant's and sneakers. "Nice, Rai," came a dry reaction.

"-Ka-ack!- Dude, what the hell is this?" He grasped his throat with one hand and thrust the soda in the direction of his 'friend's' voice with the other, sloshing even more liquid onto the other's garments.

Jacinto took the proffered drink of his companion's hands. "One of the clowns has joined Weight Watchers."

"And?" growled an irate Raimundo.

"She's dragging everyone else down with her." He finished flatly.

Rai slumped against the wall. "We only have diets?" He asked weakly.

The strongman sounded as glum as he felt. "Yeah."

His head fell forward onto his chest in dejection.

* * *

Kimiko snarled and punched the stone temple wall, superheating the air around her fist to avoid damaging herself. The Temple didn't fare quite as well, however. Glancing around to confirm that no one had seen her, she pushed a potted plant in front of the wall's wound with her foot. She should be more careful, but how could she keep all this inside of her! Ever since their fourth had died, Kimiko had been walking around like an ill-contained inferno, ready to consume anyone who was audacious enough to rub her the wrong way or, even worse, threaten her friends. Vladd would not soon forget _that_. She angrily paced over to the koi pond and sat down cross-legged at the edge. _Deep breaths, Kim. Remember what the told you in those stupid classes dad made you take._

Sighing, she rubbed the corners of her eyes then looked from between two fingers at the small bald monk who was currently chatting happily about how bright his future must with a disinterested cowboy. Kimiko smiled at Clay, who was feigning awareness so obviously that anyone (except a certain Water Dragon with a skin condition) could tell. He had been the only one of them who had truly been able to cope with Rai's demise, but… had he really? They all had thought Rai was alright, but he obviously had had some issues, or else he wouldn't have… She shook he her head. She could talk to Clay later.

* * *

Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius, had a crisis on his hands. This not a minor technical difficulty, this was big. Bigger than losing the majority of their Wu to the Dragons, worse than Vlad threatening to sue for damage sustained from Kimiko, even worse than Wuya's breath! His evil lair was without pudding cups! Only one being could be responsible for this! "WUYA!"

Across the base, the lavender spirit sighed. If it wasn't one thing, it was always another with that boy. But her life was going well at the moment, and the whines of a mortal were the least of her worries.

TBC…

* * *

Finished! Okay, as of right now, I'm trying to focus more on the monks to show their timeline and the countdown to the comet. On another note, Jack lives! Huzzah!


	6. Sol

**Reviews:**

**azure x emerald:** (tries to pull azure out from behind the rock) Noooo! You can't update if you hide there! (sighs and hands laptop) Meh… ¬¬'

**dragon goddess04:** Katnappé released her.

**dArkliTe-sPirit:** I seem to be the only one who doesn't.

**Kraven the Hunter:** Sorry, that's the bad thing about type, it's all but impossible to convey emotion, and given what little the monks saw, it probably would be safe to assume that that's what happened.

**celestial-gal:** He's my third favorite (after Chase and Rai). I don't know if he really likes it or not; he seemed to in "Royal Rumble". Now, on a completely different note… (goes all anime evil and flames pop up in the background) YES! PH33R M3! (maniacal laugh) Ahem, carry on then.

**Satoshi Silver Syoran:** Thanks.

**Elemental-Zero:** (looks at bags) Is this some obscure way of saying that you hate this story?

* * *

Eheh, sorry that this took so long, school's just started up and stuff like that. Thanks to everyone who was patient with me; I hope that this doesn't disappoint! On another note, one of the things that distracted me the most was this little fanimation of Cloud I found here: http(colon, forward slash, forward slash)ic1(dot)deviantart(dot)com(forward slash)fs7(forward slash)f(forward slash)2005(forward slash)244(forward slash)6(forward slash)a(forward slash)the(underscore)cloud(underscore)song(two underscores)to(underscore)the(underscore)left(underscore)(dot)swf (go on, go there, if I have to be distracted by the utter cuteness of it, you do to!) For my final note… Curse ff net for not letting us post normal web addresses!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a computer and an overactive imagination.

* * *

Quote of the Day:

Dojo, "Malls, theme parks… you kids sure you're not just playing hooky?"

* * *

It was moving day again, and Raimundo was bored out of his mind. There was absolutely nothing to do but lie back and wait for something to distract him. It was at times like this that he regretted not buying that pack of Braille cards, then he, Dan, and 'Cinto could do _something_. BS, spoons, hell, even go fish would be a welcome distraction!

He'd give anything to have something to do. Well, there were always his companions, but he didn't want to burden them; they'd already helped him so much and deserved some time to themselves. (Besides, what was he supposed to do? Walk over them and say, "I'm bored, entertain me." Tch, right…) In a way, they already were, but listening to one playing a video game while the other tried to give him advice could only be amuse him for so long. He quietly sighed and trailed the wall back to his room. Feeling out Blitz's brush, he called his companion over to him. The Shepard hadn't been groomed in a while.

Anything was better than being left alone with his thoughts. Before, his mind only lingered on a single subject for a few moments; actually, he rarely thought, period. Then and now, the results were –and always would be- the same. Thinking always brought memories of the past, no matter when the reminiscing happened. He set the brush down and dug his fingers into his arm. He could never go back and change what had happened. Everyone was lost to him; there was _nothing _he could do! _But_, said a small part of his mind, _that's the problem…_

_

* * *

_

Zeferino Sanchez could safely say that life sucked, both for him and his youngest charge. He walked over to his desk and pulled out a picture. It was dated approximately twenty years ago, and framed with plain, ebony wood. A brunette in her early teens was leaning into to camera, eyes closed in a laugh as she flashed a victory sign at her viewers. A boy about her age stood next to her, and judging by his posture and the surprise in his blue eyes, she had yanked him down towards the camera with her.

He traced the girl's face with a finger, those eyelids veiling her sparkling green irises, so very much like her son's. They had always been inseparable, ever since a pigtailed seven-year-old version of her had walked up to him in first grade, stuck out her hand, and asked if he would be her friend. But, he frowned slightly; he had always been the best friend, never given the chance to be anything else. He still remembered that day when they had both been in collage; they had encountered each other on campus, on their way to the other's dorm. She had been bouncing up and down, a giddy smile on her face, and he had been nervously fingering the emerald bracelet in his pocket.

"_Oof!" The girl landed unceremoniously. "Watch where you're goin- Oh. Sorry, Zephyr."_

_The slightly lighter brunette sighed and reached down for her hand. "Don't worry about it, it was probably my fault, and I'll forget that… unique… display of feminine grace if you stop calling me that."_

_She looked at him doubtfully for a moment. "Why? You never minded before."_

_He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because you've been calling me that since first grade. It's childish." Then, pouting, said, "And it makes me sound like a pixie or something."_

_She took a few minutes to process this before bursting into a fit of laughter that had her doubled over. Every time the chortling stopped, she would start to straighten up, glance at him, and start laughing all over again._

_Zeferino scowled at her for a while, before speaking. "It's not that funny." He said crossly._

"_Teehee, no, but the mental picture that I keep getting of you in a pink tutu is!"_

_A gulp. _

"_Well, _that's_ an interesting shade of red…" She said, grinning._

_He sighed angrily and ducked his head on the pretense of running his hand through his hair to conceal the blush. "Is there any particular reason that you're here?"_

_She gave one last giggle before replying, "Oh yeah, I had something really important to tell you!"_

"_Oh," he said; his hand moving to his pocket. "I wanted to tell you something too… You first."_

_She grinned at him, inhaled deeply and burst out. "Forde asked me out!"_

_His breath got caught in his throat, and…_

And he had smiled the same horribly happy-for-you grimace he wore every other time she bounced up and proclaimed the happy status of her relationship. Upon reflection, it was a rather poorly done fake. Sol's euphoria was probably was probably the only reason that she hadn't seen right through him. In fact, thinking back, probably the only time that he had genuinely smiled at one of her announcements was when she had announced that he was to be her son's godfather.

But then… Thinking back, that had been the last time he'd smiled for those communications, period. Soon after that it had been her worrying about his new love, gambling, but that wasn't nearly as troublesome as his next preoccupation. What had started out as a comforter whenever his faith in one of his equine "investments" was ill placed had become a full time lover.

_It's all **his** fault_. A voice in the back of his mind stated darkly. And it was right.

"_Zephyr?" The circus manager to be turned off his television at the distress in his lifelong friend's voice._

"_Sol? Sol, what's wrong?" His grip on the cordless tightened._

_She sniffed and continued with desperation, "Could I stay at your place tonight?"_

_He almost dropped the phone in shock, "Wha- what?"_

_She choked back a sob, "I- I'm sorry, but I don't know where else I can go." A sob, "Please,** please**, just let me stay for one night. I'll be gone tomorrow, I promise!"_

_He leaned forward, wanting to hold the woman on the other end, but separated by an unknown (to him) amount of space. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Of course you can stay; stay as long as you need to, but…" He trailed off, flopping back onto the couch, "But why? What happened?"_

_Her fears slightly assuaged, she explained in a halting tone, "It's Forde, he- he was drunk and he-"_

_Zeferino lunged forward, the hand that wasn't trying to strangle his phone was clenching and unclenching and unclenching, wanted to pound into absent flesh. "What? What did he do? Did he hurt you? If he did, I swear I'll-"_

"_No, no! He hurt didn't hurt me, he-"_

"_Oh my god," he slumped back on the couch, eyes wide with shock. "Raimundo, my god, I'm gonna kill that sonuva-"_

"_No, calm down! He didn't!"_

_A sigh, "Alright… What exactly happened, then?"_

"_Like I said, he got drunk to help him get over that horse, and he- he called Raimundo over to him and-"_

"_WHAT? I thought you said-"_

"_No, he didn't, but… there was this gleam in his eyes, like he wanted to hurt something, anything just take his anger out on something. Raimundo knew better than to go anywhere his father when he's drunk though; I heard Forde yelling at him and got him out of there as fast as I could." It was her voice's turn to shake with animalistic savagery, "Trust me, if he had touched one hair on my son's head, I'd be asking you for advice on where to hide the body, not a room for the night."_

"_If you're sure you're alright…" He slowly got up, intending to head towards the closet for extra blankets and pillows, "Where are you now?"_

"_I'm near the intersection of Denry and Oak Leaf, I should be there- Oh my god!"_

_There was the sound of tires screeching and squealing across the rainy night followed by the sickening crunch of metal impacting metal before the call was cut off. The cordless fell from nerveless hands as the sobbing man collapsed._

_

* * *

_

Clay rubbed the back of head and glared sullenly in Kimiko's general direction. Between her hotheadedness and Omi's recent shifty behavior, he was starting to believe that he was the only sane one in the temple! Well, the only one besides Master Fung; the other monks had left on a pilgrimage a few hours ago.

He sat down on his (previously Dong's) bed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could almost understand Kimiko's desire to keep her mistakes quiet, but Sabeeny had almost taken permanent residence in his head! If she had told someone sooner, they would have known that something was up just by the fact that she had broken it. The Wu were nigh unbreakable! Omi… Omi was another matter entirely. The small monk had always been odd, but never dishonest. He and Kimiko could both see right through him, but why would he lie? It just –he flopped onto his back- it just made absolutely no sense!

The Earth Dragon sighed, threw his hat onto a chair in the corner, and pulled a blanket over himself. Maybe, with sleep and time, things would be clearer.

* * *

Raimundo was lying on his bed wishing for the past… again. It wasn't really the monks that he was missing, or even the vague memories of his childhood, of his mother; no, it was sight. That was all he wanted, all he needed. He was so lost in dreams of vision that he barely noticed the breezes swirling about his room, the zephyrs conspiring a way to grant their Chosen's wish, not did he notice how they avoided the dresser which he had stuffed the golden Wu into.

TBC...

* * *

(collapses) Wow, that didn't completely drain me of my life force! All those who can guess what I'm using as a vague guide for Rai's past gets a cookie!


	7. Culmination

**Reviews:**

**  
azure x emerald:** But I want you to update! -pouts- Maybe I should go on strike or something 'til you update…

**unknown:** Eventually, in the next three to four chapters probably. Thanks.

**  
Kraven the Hunter:** No… Rai is not a nutjob… And never will be.

**dragon goddess04:** Erm…

**celestial-gal:** Eh, sorry… Actually, it might be better that you're not noticing them that much. That means that they're at least not sticking out as Mary-Sues or Gary-Stus.

**  
dArkliTe-sPirit:** Uh, I'm glad that you're that… excited that I've updated. (It means that I'm doing something right!) (**second review**) …Sorry?

**Elemental-Zero:** …

**Satoshi Silver Syoran: **Over a month? -gasps- How can you live! -starts poking- Update! (Note: This was written before I began writing, and I now realize that I can't talk at all… (But I know I can't live with myself! TT))

**windflame:** -blushes- Thanks!

Special thanks to dl-sPirit for kicking me off my… writers block.

* * *

Quote of the Day:

Raimundo: "I shouldn't have lost, Master Fung. I'm more skilled than Tubbimura, and in way better shape!"

(Me: True, true, very good shape…)

* * *

The blond acrobat came yawning into the trailer and flopped onto the couch. "Hey, Rai."

The teen nodded in her general direction, grateful that Vanessa had been considerate enough to announce her presence. Not that he needed to know that someone was approaching, mind you, he had heard the footsteps coming a mile off, but who it was he had yet to be able to determine who it was by their footfall alone. One of the things he hated was being alone with someone and not knowing who that person was. (He called it caution; Vanessa labeled it paranoia.)

Another thing he hated was being avoided. Okay, he could understand Chandra (the lion tamer), who was worried about how her beasts would react to Blitz's scent, but the clowns! He gritted his teeth in frustration; he had no idea why they wouldn't come near him anymore! Was it because they were unsure of how to act around him? Were they abandoning him because they couldn't cope with the fact that he couldn't be the same anymore!

There was a yelp and thump as Vanessa was rudely shoved off the couch. "Raii-aiiii!" she complained, pulling herself back up. "Watch it!"

He winced, "Sorry, 'Nessa." He mumbled. _Dammit! This is in-friggin'-doors for chrissakes! Chrissakes? I've been hanging out with Jacinto for too long… _

"'S'alright."

As of late, his powers had been acting up, usually whenever strongly feeling an emotion. This wouldn't be such a problem, except that they always expressed themselves the same way, no matter what the emotion, happiness, sadness, anger… every single time, something got knocked over... someone, in Vanessa's case.

* * *

"Get back here, you little-" A blonde woman tripped on her long black skirt for what seemed to her like the hundredth time whilst continuing her pursuit of the flame-haired thief.

Rachel White didn't consider herself to be a very demanding woman (although some of her ex's might beg to differ). She didn't expect for the world to be handed to her on a silver platter; she got on just fine with a few luxuries that were few and far between… All right, so she wasn't exactly content. She was ambitious, but wasn't everyone? Anyways, whether or not Miss White was expecting more from life in the future wasn't really important right now. What did matter, however, was that while she wasn't all _that_ demanding, there were a few common courtesies that she had come to expect. One of which was not having the auction house she worked at being robbed by the same red-haired freak twice.

And this guy would _pay_ she decided maliciously, he had lost the goggles, trench, and make-up, but there was no mistaking the punk who robbed her display of a tasseled sash about a year back. She had gotten into huge trouble for that one, although she had gotten a small amount of sympathy and a leave of absence with which she could see a psychiatrist when she had tried to explain that a teen with a jetpack and an army of bronze colored robots had flown in and stolen the perfectly preserved article of ancient cloth. She didn't fare much better with the authorities either, but after they decided that she wasn't the thief, they let her go with yet another reference to a shrink.

Well, she thought, he wouldn't get away with it this time, this time he had gone right up to a display in broad daylight and rushed off with his prize in front of approximately thirty bidders. This time's conquest was another article of clothing from the same time period as the previous. It was a midnight blue cloak with black, fluid black patterns and a dark purple trim. Unfortunately while her head was filled thoughts of revenge, she never noticed the figure in the dark blue cloak walk calmly past her.

* * *

Once in the safety of his evil lair Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius, threw off the Notice-Me-Not-Cloak and did his victory dance, a.k.a. the Macarena. That blonde had been so preoccupied with sending him death threats that she didn't even notice him invoking the ancient magic by announcing the object's proper name and encasing himself in it. According to Wuya, this Wu was a cousin of the Shroud of Shadows, but instead of making you invisible, this item put you out of mind. You could walk write into Fort Knox and walk away with all contained therein and the guards would think nothing of it. Of course, he had yet to see what would happen if one was photographed or caught on camera while the Wu was active, maybe it would still work, and maybe it wouldn't.

He didn't bother to repress a grin at the thought of the monks. He had passed them on his way out of the auction house, Kimiko had been scribbling furiously in a checkbook while her companions looked around the room for the source of the commotion. They had probably already figured out that it was him, but thanks to his latest acquisition, they would never take heed of him again.

The grin slipped from his face as he came to the realization that this wouldn't change much of anything. The only difference would be that the monks wouldn't notice when he walked into their precious temple and robbed them blind. No one ever noticed him unless he was hurting them. A psychologist might have said that his turn to evil was nothing more than a plea for attention. Maybe it was, but he would probably vaporize the fool just for thinking it.

But, he did want to be noticed. Particularly by… her. It was foolish of him to want her, he knew, but she had been his first crush. He didn't want to let that go before she acknowledged him. He had first met the lovely Kimiko Hanako Tohomiko at one of his parents' parties. They had dragged him out of his room, put some gunk in his hair to make it stay flat, and stuffed him into a tuxedo. It was obviously shaping up to be one of the worst experiences of his life. But then he beheld her, and somehow, the room seemed to brighten a bit. She had been bedecked with a white dress with ruffles and lace; small, white shoes; and long, fingerless white gloves. Despite the fact that she had been clutching to her father's hand like a sailor to wreckage, she carried herself with an air of calmness, as though she were draining inner strength from her father. He had made a beeline for her, despite his doubts about the horrible diseases he was sure to contact should he get to close. She was the only person who came remotely close to his age, and right now he needed company.

She seemed to be harboring the same doubts about the opposite gender, because she had shied away at first, but about five minutes later, after scouring the room for girls her age, she reluctantly joined him on the sidelines. They had managed to carry on a somewhat polite conversation until he had made the fatal mistake of mentioning a girl's lesser body strength. She had slapped him and stormed off, leaving the little genius on the floor, rubbing the bright red palm mark absently.

* * *

Raimundo was lying on his back, letting the warm Brazilian wash over him, warming every bone in his body. Daniel lay close by sunning himself as well as making sure his friend didn't roll off the roof. Blitz hung about on the ground below them, out of his harness, but still whining about his master's location.

He stretched luxuriously and felt the rough tiles scrape into his back. His already closed eyes scrunched slightly, "How long have we been out here?"

Daniel checked his watch. "Hm, 'bout half-an-hour."

"Ugh," the brunette sat up, reluctantly parting his back and the sun-warmed stones, and felt around. "Would ya help me find the ladder?"

The older of the two glanced over with a calm expression. "You sure? Vanessa won't be back 'til later."

Raimundo gritted his teeth, thankful for the fact that the voice came from behind him. Ever since he had come back, Daniel had been treating him as though he were made of glass. He had appreciated it at first, when his mental state wasn't quite as solid, but now it was just plain annoying. "I'm sure. Just tell me where it is."

Daniel sighed and guided his friend's hand and to the rung, missing the way the handicap's muscles tensed at the contact.

* * *

Master Fung regarded Kimiko over a cup of ginseng tea. The Apprentice was furiously incinerating wooden targets while Clay and Omi sparred. Normally, elemental opposites practiced together (the Apprentices of Earth and Wind were paired together and Water and Fire clashed in faux battles), but in the absence of the cocky Brazilian, Clay was sparring with Omi. It also gave The Japanese girl time to vent the excess energy she could not safely unload on her companions during training. The mentor scowled and poured himself another cup; he did not like the changes being wrought in his charge.

A few weeks ago, Kimiko had abandoned the Temple's library, an unofficial declaration of surrender to fate. Without the hope of her crush's survival, she had become even more volatile than before. When the beautiful mermaid arrived, it had been all he had been able to do to keep her from savaging their guest. She had remained distrustful of the wily monster, perhaps more because the evil sea creature had been using feminine persuasion to twist the male Apprentices to her will. If she had contented herself with stealing their Wu and attempting to destroy their world, well… suffice it to say that she would have been a lot better off. Fung closed his eyes and thanked the heavens that the blade of the Sword of the Storm was intangible; he didn't know if Kimiko would have been able to live herself if she had killed, even _if _her victim was an agent of evil. As it was, she managed to show an impressive display of combining her element with a Shen-Gong-Wu, especially since the Wu in question was not of her element. The firestorm created by using the element of fire with Raimundo's favored Wu was awe-inspiring.

* * *

"…And when we return, more on the astronomical wonder that will be gracing our sky in less than a week! We'll have the world renowned astrologer Tara Rangi in the studio to give us an in-detail report on the millennial comet whose legends of woe have earned it the name-"

Letitia turned off TV in disgust. There wasn't even any interesting on the news! And, she wondered as she wrinkled her nose and popped open a can of diet cola, what was the big deal about that "Heylin Comet", anyway?

* * *

The zephyrs swirled around their Chosen. They were so close- they just had to extend their reach a little bit more and they would be able to reach out to the dark magic to complete their preparations. The Heylin Comet blasted its way through its orbit and… Dark and neutral clashed and combined; if the sleeping Raimundo had woken with sight at that very moment he would have been witness to what was undoubtedly the light show of the century.

Luminous manifestations of magic twisted in a turbulent mix of black, silver, and light shades of blue and purple. If one was to observe for a few minutes, it would become clear that the ebony element was on its own. It kept trying to break away, at or from its pursuers was unknown. Eventually it was overcome and melded into the others, leaving no trace of itself behind after assimilation. The remaining luminosities grouped together, condensing to a pinprick of swirling color before launching itself directly into the chest of Raimundo Pedrosa.

* * *

Hey people! I'm really sorry that this took so long! Writer's block, and all…

Meeps: This translates to reading everyone else's fanfiction instead of working on her own…

n.n; Ehm… Anyways, I'll be going to Florida until Sunday night, and I just might be motivated to spend more time on chapter eight if I came back to reviews!

Meeps: After leaving them hanging for months, I don't think you can ask for anything…

-sits in dark corner- True… T.T


	8. Awakening

Yahoo Mail Alert

You have 29 message(s)

OO… They love me! They really love me! –glomps everyone in sight- (Of course, there were story alerts and other stuff, but you can imagine my joy.)

* * *

**Reviews:**

**celestial-gal**: Yesh! I'm not alone! -blushes- Thanks! Um, I don't know what her real middle name is… I just gave her one… "Hanako" means "flower child", in case you're wondering… Only two seasons? –pats back- Poor thing…

**windflame**: Keh, indeed… -hands windflame mallet and chisel-

**dragon goddess04**: Oh, okay. Thanks for clearing that up, because I had no idea what you were talking about. Mm… not yet…

**dArkliTe-sPirit**: -backs away- …Alright, then…

**Angelus-alvus**: Okay!

**DeafLizgon**: Um, what happened to Rai? –looks shifty-

**Tsuzuki Pilar**: -gasps- Not much of a Rai fan? -faints- (Yesh, I am obsessed, and it _is_ contagious (or, at least, I'm trying to make it so…)… Why do you ask? -blinks-)

**Twilight Dragon**: Well, I try to do at least a paragraph for Jack and the monks.

**Elemental-Zero**: Sorry, but he's not getting it back _that_ easily. And Blitz is Rai's, so I think that you'd have to ask him about that…

**cricketchick1990**: Thanks, and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!

* * *

Okay, so I have three questions for everyone, since no one commented on them…

1. Did everyone get the connection between Rachel and Jack? I don't know if I made it clear enough that he got the Third Arm Sash from her place of employment. (He just showed up with it in Paris! It needed an origin story!)

2. And about Jack's thoughts and flashback… How did you think I did? Did I lay it on too thick? Not enough? Were either of them OOC? That was my first time writing that sort of thing, and I _need_ feedback here!

3. My Wu… What did you think about it? Crappy name, I know, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be more than happy to change it!

Okay, I already mentioned this in the replies, but just so everyone is clear on this. Raimundo _will_ get his sight back… Eventually… This update is more of an interlude-slash-very-important-filler than anything else, so you won't get to see exactly what happens until next chapter, 'kay?

Argh! I forgot to put the disclaimer in last chapter! Why didn't anyone tell me?

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any name-brand products-slash-companies.

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Quote of the Day:

RoboKimiko: Well, I hope you get hit by lightning everyday, 'cause that hat makes you look super-keen!

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It was a world of black. Shapes darted about, occasionally bumping into him sharply, and the sound of rushing footsteps echoed in the void. _Argh!painwhatbladeknifehurt**blood**!_ He fell, clutching his side.

What… what was that sound? It was clear, beautiful, tinkling… Laughter? No… laughter was sweet, uplifting… This was cold and vicious. It was like poisoned honey, a thorned rose, a blushing schoolgirl with an assassin's soul. It was his attacker, a woman by the voice; and her chilling snicker cut right through him. It felt as though a lover had stabbed him through the heart with a golden dagger and listed all his faults, weaknesses, and wrongdoings with a kind smile as his blood seeped out onto satin sheets.

But, somehow, this cut deeper. It seemed as if this cold, calculating melody both pierced soul and decimated his self-esteem. He felt worthless, pathetic, completely and utterly worthless, and should feel blessed beyond compare that this cold beauty was witness to and the cause of his agony.

But what was worse than her cackle was her aura. He could feel it- feel _her_- circling him, appraising him with a critical eye. It seared his soul until he was left with nothing but ashes and encased his heart in nevermelting ice. And somewhere behind her, her followers were still circling him, their feet beating against the ground in an unholy tattoo; and his thoughts went to wolves, awaiting their alpha's consent before they closed their circle and devoured him. _Getawaygetawaygetaway!**please!**I'llgiveanything**do**anything,justpleaseleavemeALOOOOOOONE!_

Light. It rushed through the void in a howling mass of silver, blue and lavender. All was illuminated for a split second before the luminous tempest consumed all and the light became blinding. He clenched his eyes shut just before the brief shrieks of terror from his tormentor and her followers before they disappeared in the whirling storm reached him.

Then… then it seemed to calm itself and develop purpose. He felt its ethereal tendrils ghost over the gash in his side. There was a fleeting sensation, as though a group of bees were buzzing beneath the surface of his wound, and liquid warmth seemed to seep throughout his body. As soon as the feeling left him, he was overcome with an intense sense of loss and moved his fingers to rest lightly on the former sight and felt smooth, unblemished skin. And then, within the blinding sea of silver, two shining balls of energy (in light hues of blue and purple) condensed and, with a shriek, rushed towards and exploded into his chest.

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Raimundo woke, howling, from a nightmare. He pulled his knees to himself and, drawing shaky breaths, tried to allay his fears that something in his personal realm of darkness was waiting to pounce on him even now. (But… there hadn't just been attackers in his dream, there had been light too… Something had saved him….) As his paranoia haltingly retreated from his mind, he felt a… presence? clump? …an energy that, when he summarily tapped into it, amazed, terrified, and utterly delighted him.

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Woot! I worked on this on the whole drive down and while I was at the hotel! And behold! An update that doesn't have months in the making! It seems I get things done faster when I write things down with pen and paper. The only problem is that once that's done, it ends up sitting around while I try to work up the strength of will to type it all in… Anyways, I wrote a one-shot while I was down there, so you might see it in a couple of days, or whenever I have the time and constitution to get it in.


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